China-Australia relations: Penny Wong urges ‘restraint, de-escalation’ amid Taiwan Strait tensions

Name: Why mainland China is holding military drills in Taiwan Strait following US Speaker Pelosi’s trip
Uploaded: 2022-08-08T07:32:13.000Z
Duration: 7 min 7 s
Description: Why mainland China is holding military drills in Taiwan Strait following US Speaker Pelosi’s trip

Australia’s foreign minister told reporters on Monday that ‘the whole region is calling for stability to be restored’ amid Beijing’s ongoing drills

The Chinese embassy in Australia earlier accused Canberra of doing Washington’s bidding, saying their ‘finger-pointing’ was ‘absolutely unacceptable’

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Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Monday that it was ‘critical’ that ‘the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-strait tensions’. Photo: AP

Associated Press

Published: 3:32pm, 8 Aug 2022

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday called for a cooling of tensions after Beijing accused her of “finger-pointing” in her criticism of Chinese military exercises in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Wong criticised China’s launch of ballistic missiles during the ongoing air and sea drills around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. She also signed a joint statement with the United States and Japan on Saturday that condemned the firing of missiles into Japanese exclusive economic zones and accused China of “raising tension and destabilising the region”.

The Chinese embassy in Australia replied to the trilateral statement, saying: “It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China’s justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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Why mainland China is holding military drills in Taiwan Strait following US Speaker Pelosi’s trip

The embassy accused Australia of doing the bidding of the US, which China described as the “biggest saboteur and destabiliser of peace in the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability”.

“We … hope that the Australian side could treat the Taiwan question with caution, does not follow certain countries’ strategy of containing China with Taiwan, and does not create new troubles and disturbances in China-Australia relations,” an embassy statement said.

Wong declined to comment on the state of the China-Australia relationship following Pelosi’s visit last week. Beijing had signalled a potential reset in ties following the new Australian government’s election in May. Relations had plumbed new depths during the previous government’s nine years in power.

“What is most critical at the moment is that the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-strait tensions,” Wong told reporters.